FRI: NM education committee endorses proposed math, literacy bills ahead of 30-day session, +More
By KUNM News
December 19, 2025 at 8:16 AM MST
NM education committee endorses proposed math, literacy bills ahead of 30-day session
–Leah Romero, Source New Mexico
Lawmakers on New Mexico’s Legislative Education Study Committee this week endorsed two potential bills that would require additional credentials for math teachers and expanded resources for literacy instruction.
In total, the committee endorsed eight legislative proposals during its Santa Fe meeting ahead of the 30-day regular budgetary session starting Jan. 20. Under state law, the upcoming session focuses on budgetary items, so some of the legislation will require a special message from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in order to be considered.
Lawmakers discussed the math and literacy instruction proposals at length. The math instruction bill would amend established state law to require people seeking an elementary or secondary license with an endorsement in math to complete “six hours of mathematics methods courses.”
According to the presentation, the bill would also require the Public Education Department to create an instructional leadership framework for districts to implement during the 2027-2028 school year; establish state-wide processes for math screening between kindergarten and third grade; and create individualized student support plans and interventions.
PED would have until Dec. 31, 2026 to complete the rulemaking process.
The Literacy Instruction and Supports bill would establish the High-Quality Literacy Instruction Act, expanding reading supports, particularly for schools and individual students struggling with reading proficiency; require literacy instruction and interventions be “grounded in the science of reading;” create a system for assessing reading progress and involving parents; and allow PED to make instructional coaches available for support.
LESC Director John Sena described the bill as “cleanup” following passage of literacy education legislation during the 60-day session this year.
“This bill is somewhat similar to the math bill,” Sena said. “I think the most substantial difference in this bill is that it does not really touch higher [education] very much. You all passed some higher ed provisions last session to require educator prep programs to use science of reading reading and structured literacy.”
Rep. Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque) said she was concerned about the “read-at-home” portion of the literacy bill and noted that parents of English Language Learners may not speak fluent English themselves. She added that encouraging biliteracy should also be a priority.
“I think someplace we have to start adding the joy of reading, because that’s getting overlooked,” she said. “I believe that if the parents are going to read with them, the parents should really read with them in their home language.”
Committee members discussed several other proposed bills that would enhance accountability of individual school board members through suspension for misconduct or other violations; increase public school employers’ share of health insurance premiums; add attendance provisions for students with “severe medical conditions;” amend teacher preparation requirements and how teacher resident stipends are calculated; clarify current restraint and seclusion practices in schools; and codify the Office of Special Education within the New Mexico Public Education Department.
The committee also voted not to endorse a proposed Universal Income Pilot Program. According to the presentation, the bill would appropriate $80 million to the Department of Health to establish and study the impact of distributing $1,500 a month to low-income pregnant residents and their families through the first year of the baby’s life. Soules and Rep. Yanira Gurrola (D-Albuquerque) introduced a similar bill during last year’s session, but it died in committee.
Committee members agreed that further discussion and vetting is needed for such a pilot program. However, a vote to not endorse does not mean the bill cannot be introduced by a legislator.
New Mexico Republicans urge governor to put juvenile crime on session agenda
–Patrick Lohman, Source New Mexico
New Mexico Republican lawmakers on Thursday sent a letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urging her to add juvenile crime to the agenda for next year’s legislative session.
The 30-day session starting Jan. 20 will be confined by state law to budgetary matters, along with any topics the governor specifies in her “call” for the session.
Republicans held a town hall earlier this week in Las Cruces, during which they collected testimony from law enforcement, schools, state agencies and others frustrated with the state’s perceived inaction on juvenile crime, particularly juvenile gun crime, across New Mexico.
Following the town hall, Republicans released a 32-page report with findings and recommendations for tackling juvenile crime. It found that the number of juveniles charged with first-degree murder has increased sharply since the pandemic, growing from two in 2019 to 27 in 2024.
Despite the increase, according to the report, policy debates have focused primarily on adult crime, “leaving juvenile justice largely untouched.”
That lapse has occurred even while “law enforcement officers, prosecutors, educators and victims increasingly report that juveniles who commit serious violent offenses often face inconsistent consequences and limited supervision,” the report concludes.
One key issue Republican lawmakers say they hope the Legislature will address relates to competency determinations for young people charged with serious crimes. Multiple witnesses testified to the committee about cases in which state courts deemed young people accused of crimes to be mentally incompetent to stand trial, only for federal or independent evaluations to deem otherwise.
“These disparities raise serious concerns about evaluation standards, accountability, and public confidence in critical legal determinations,” the Republican lawmakers wrote.
In addition to the competency issue, Republicans recommend the Legislature “strengthen accountability measures” for violent juveniles, expand access to services, implement early warning and intervention services.
Republicans have repeatedly championed legislation that would lower the age at which a juvenile charged with serious crimes could be tried as an adult from 15 to 14. They did so again in October during a special legislative session convened to offset upcoming federal spending cuts. Because crime bills were not on the call for that session, the bill never went anywhere.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office did not respond to Source New Mexico’s request for comment Friday morning on whether the governor will include juvenile justice on the agenda for next year’s session.
However, at the end of this year’s regular session, Lujan Grisham castigated lawmakers for not taking more action on the issue of juvenile crime amidst breaking news of a shooting in a public park involving teenagers.
The governor’s office has previously said that “public safety” will be on the agenda. Jodi McGinnis Porter, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, told Source NM in an email last week that the governor “welcomes collaboration with legislators from both parties who share her commitment to keeping New Mexicans safe.”
City Councilor calls for Gateway Center to offer walk-up services
—Damon Scott, Nob Hill News
The Gateway Center on Gibson is the city of Albuquerque’s flagship site to address widespread homelessness, but District 6 City Councilor Nichole Rogers is calling for it to be made more accessible to the unhoused population by allowing walk-up services, a change that goes against an agreement the city made with nearby neighborhoods.
According to Damon Scott of the Nob Hill News, because of this agreement, unhoused clients are currently only able to access services at the center by being brought in by first responders, outreach teams or a referral from a healthcare partner—but not by seeking service themselves.
Rogers says she is frustrated by this barrier to access. She’d like to see walk-ups with limited hours and appointments and is calling for a new agreement with the neighborhoods.
Janet Simon, president of the Parkland Hills Neighborhood Association, is concerned about more foot traffic attracting encampments near schools like Wilson Middle School and Whittier Elementary, but she also said some residents are willing to at least consider limited walk-up services, as long as there’s adequate monitoring.
Rogers said she wants neighborhood concerns addressed and, in the end, to also see Gateway’s services accessed through multiple options—walk-up and otherwise.
New Mexico environmental groups support $218M for conservation efforts
—Joshua Bowling, Source NM
A coalition of New Mexico environmental advocacy groups this week endorsed $218 million in funding requests that would bolster water conservation and restoration projects. Lawmakers are expected to tackle these projects as they craft the state’s budget in January’s legislative session.
According to Joshua Bowling with Source NM, projects in the group’s list range from relatively small—$1.5 million to upgrade an IT system in the Office of the State Engineer—to large —$50 million to meet the terms of the settlement agreement in a yearslong legal battle over Rio Grande water between Texas and New Mexico.
Many of the projects aim at giving New Mexico’s waterways preventative care to reduce the amount of costly disaster relief that’s often needed after wildfires give way to floods, advocates said.
They also endorsed $3.5 million for the department’s Surface Water Permitting Program, which state leaders created in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA ruling. The decision removed protections from about half of the nation’s wetlands.
Climate advocates said they want to see lawmakers appropriate $22 million for ongoing aquifer mapping and monitoring in the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. These mapping projects are meant to give state leaders a clear picture of the quantity and quality of groundwater resources across the state.
–Leah Romero, Source New Mexico
Lawmakers on New Mexico’s Legislative Education Study Committee this week endorsed two potential bills that would require additional credentials for math teachers and expanded resources for literacy instruction.
In total, the committee endorsed eight legislative proposals during its Santa Fe meeting ahead of the 30-day regular budgetary session starting Jan. 20. Under state law, the upcoming session focuses on budgetary items, so some of the legislation will require a special message from Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham in order to be considered.
Lawmakers discussed the math and literacy instruction proposals at length. The math instruction bill would amend established state law to require people seeking an elementary or secondary license with an endorsement in math to complete “six hours of mathematics methods courses.”
According to the presentation, the bill would also require the Public Education Department to create an instructional leadership framework for districts to implement during the 2027-2028 school year; establish state-wide processes for math screening between kindergarten and third grade; and create individualized student support plans and interventions.
PED would have until Dec. 31, 2026 to complete the rulemaking process.
The Literacy Instruction and Supports bill would establish the High-Quality Literacy Instruction Act, expanding reading supports, particularly for schools and individual students struggling with reading proficiency; require literacy instruction and interventions be “grounded in the science of reading;” create a system for assessing reading progress and involving parents; and allow PED to make instructional coaches available for support.
LESC Director John Sena described the bill as “cleanup” following passage of literacy education legislation during the 60-day session this year.
“This bill is somewhat similar to the math bill,” Sena said. “I think the most substantial difference in this bill is that it does not really touch higher [education] very much. You all passed some higher ed provisions last session to require educator prep programs to use science of reading reading and structured literacy.”
Rep. Joy Garratt (D-Albuquerque) said she was concerned about the “read-at-home” portion of the literacy bill and noted that parents of English Language Learners may not speak fluent English themselves. She added that encouraging biliteracy should also be a priority.
“I think someplace we have to start adding the joy of reading, because that’s getting overlooked,” she said. “I believe that if the parents are going to read with them, the parents should really read with them in their home language.”
Committee members discussed several other proposed bills that would enhance accountability of individual school board members through suspension for misconduct or other violations; increase public school employers’ share of health insurance premiums; add attendance provisions for students with “severe medical conditions;” amend teacher preparation requirements and how teacher resident stipends are calculated; clarify current restraint and seclusion practices in schools; and codify the Office of Special Education within the New Mexico Public Education Department.
The committee also voted not to endorse a proposed Universal Income Pilot Program. According to the presentation, the bill would appropriate $80 million to the Department of Health to establish and study the impact of distributing $1,500 a month to low-income pregnant residents and their families through the first year of the baby’s life. Soules and Rep. Yanira Gurrola (D-Albuquerque) introduced a similar bill during last year’s session, but it died in committee.
Committee members agreed that further discussion and vetting is needed for such a pilot program. However, a vote to not endorse does not mean the bill cannot be introduced by a legislator.
New Mexico Republicans urge governor to put juvenile crime on session agenda
–Patrick Lohman, Source New Mexico
New Mexico Republican lawmakers on Thursday sent a letter to Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham urging her to add juvenile crime to the agenda for next year’s legislative session.
The 30-day session starting Jan. 20 will be confined by state law to budgetary matters, along with any topics the governor specifies in her “call” for the session.
Republicans held a town hall earlier this week in Las Cruces, during which they collected testimony from law enforcement, schools, state agencies and others frustrated with the state’s perceived inaction on juvenile crime, particularly juvenile gun crime, across New Mexico.
Following the town hall, Republicans released a 32-page report with findings and recommendations for tackling juvenile crime. It found that the number of juveniles charged with first-degree murder has increased sharply since the pandemic, growing from two in 2019 to 27 in 2024.
Despite the increase, according to the report, policy debates have focused primarily on adult crime, “leaving juvenile justice largely untouched.”
That lapse has occurred even while “law enforcement officers, prosecutors, educators and victims increasingly report that juveniles who commit serious violent offenses often face inconsistent consequences and limited supervision,” the report concludes.
One key issue Republican lawmakers say they hope the Legislature will address relates to competency determinations for young people charged with serious crimes. Multiple witnesses testified to the committee about cases in which state courts deemed young people accused of crimes to be mentally incompetent to stand trial, only for federal or independent evaluations to deem otherwise.
“These disparities raise serious concerns about evaluation standards, accountability, and public confidence in critical legal determinations,” the Republican lawmakers wrote.
In addition to the competency issue, Republicans recommend the Legislature “strengthen accountability measures” for violent juveniles, expand access to services, implement early warning and intervention services.
Republicans have repeatedly championed legislation that would lower the age at which a juvenile charged with serious crimes could be tried as an adult from 15 to 14. They did so again in October during a special legislative session convened to offset upcoming federal spending cuts. Because crime bills were not on the call for that session, the bill never went anywhere.
A spokesperson for the governor’s office did not respond to Source New Mexico’s request for comment Friday morning on whether the governor will include juvenile justice on the agenda for next year’s session.
However, at the end of this year’s regular session, Lujan Grisham castigated lawmakers for not taking more action on the issue of juvenile crime amidst breaking news of a shooting in a public park involving teenagers.
The governor’s office has previously said that “public safety” will be on the agenda. Jodi McGinnis Porter, a spokesperson for the governor’s office, told Source NM in an email last week that the governor “welcomes collaboration with legislators from both parties who share her commitment to keeping New Mexicans safe.”
City Councilor calls for Gateway Center to offer walk-up services
—Damon Scott, Nob Hill News
The Gateway Center on Gibson is the city of Albuquerque’s flagship site to address widespread homelessness, but District 6 City Councilor Nichole Rogers is calling for it to be made more accessible to the unhoused population by allowing walk-up services, a change that goes against an agreement the city made with nearby neighborhoods.
According to Damon Scott of the Nob Hill News, because of this agreement, unhoused clients are currently only able to access services at the center by being brought in by first responders, outreach teams or a referral from a healthcare partner—but not by seeking service themselves.
Rogers says she is frustrated by this barrier to access. She’d like to see walk-ups with limited hours and appointments and is calling for a new agreement with the neighborhoods.
Janet Simon, president of the Parkland Hills Neighborhood Association, is concerned about more foot traffic attracting encampments near schools like Wilson Middle School and Whittier Elementary, but she also said some residents are willing to at least consider limited walk-up services, as long as there’s adequate monitoring.
Rogers said she wants neighborhood concerns addressed and, in the end, to also see Gateway’s services accessed through multiple options—walk-up and otherwise.
New Mexico environmental groups support $218M for conservation efforts
—Joshua Bowling, Source NM
A coalition of New Mexico environmental advocacy groups this week endorsed $218 million in funding requests that would bolster water conservation and restoration projects. Lawmakers are expected to tackle these projects as they craft the state’s budget in January’s legislative session.
According to Joshua Bowling with Source NM, projects in the group’s list range from relatively small—$1.5 million to upgrade an IT system in the Office of the State Engineer—to large —$50 million to meet the terms of the settlement agreement in a yearslong legal battle over Rio Grande water between Texas and New Mexico.
Many of the projects aim at giving New Mexico’s waterways preventative care to reduce the amount of costly disaster relief that’s often needed after wildfires give way to floods, advocates said.
They also endorsed $3.5 million for the department’s Surface Water Permitting Program, which state leaders created in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s Sackett v. EPA ruling. The decision removed protections from about half of the nation’s wetlands.
Climate advocates said they want to see lawmakers appropriate $22 million for ongoing aquifer mapping and monitoring in the New Mexico Bureau of Geology and Mineral Resources. These mapping projects are meant to give state leaders a clear picture of the quantity and quality of groundwater resources across the state.